The WPT World Championship this week set some earth-shattering numbers, when a record 605 players got together at the Bellagio in Las Vegas to fight for a prize pool of US$15,125,000, with a whacking US$3.7 million for the winner. The US$25,500 buy-in tournament at the Bellagio was not a deterrent to players from nearly 40 countries. The WPT now airs in 147 countries and territories, and as a result the winners will be feted in countries from Antigua to Zambia, and from Japan to Sweden.

The incentive attracting players is two-fold: to win the coveted title WPT World Champion and to go home with a portion of the record prize money. In fact, the three top-finishing players will all earn more than $1 million. And even for those further down the list, the tournament will pay 100 deep ... so one in every six players will be in the money.

Steve Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises, Inc., organizers of the event said: "The WPT World Championship is considered the toughest tournament in the world to win if you consider the caliber of the competitors. At a cost of $25,500 to get to the table, you have to be a very accomplished poker player. You've either built a very solid bankroll or you've outlasted thousands in satellite tournaments. No doubt this Final Table will be a cliffhanger."

The WPT World Championship crowns the WPT's fourth record-breaking season, bringing the total prize money for the 17 tournaments to $85,120,000. The riveting shows currently airing on the Travel Channel every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. have revealed the 20 newest WPT Poker Millionaires. Among those marquee players who took to the felt for the WPT World crown were defending champion Tuan Le and Alan Goehring, plus T.J. Cloutier, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Doyle Brunson, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, David Williams, Allen Cunningham, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Phil Ivey, and the Hollywood actress Jennifer Tilly, amongst others.

The international contingent also included Martin DeKniff, Maxfield, Gus Hansen, David Benyamine, Juha Helppi, Chris Bigler, Humberto Brenes, Juan Carlos Mortensen, Johan Storakers, Marcel Luske, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, John Gale and Patrik Antonius, plus other hopefuls. Final table play will begin Monday, April 24th at 4 pm, when three in the finalists’ field will take home more than a million dollars each, as the champion will cream off US$3,760,165, second place will pay US$1,903,950 and third placed player will get US$1,025,205. (E-04.21.06)

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